In sports, when a player finds a coach who truly understands and effectively utilizes their talents, they often develop a strong relationship that extends beyond the basketball court and stands the test of time. That’s exactly how the bond between former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson and former head coach Pat Riley is.

The iconic duo led the Purple & Gold to four NBA championships during the famous “Showtime” era. Nonetheless, now, even though it’s been decades since Riley coached him, Johnson continues to hold his former coach in high regard, as he called him the greatest coach of all-time on his 81st birthday.

“Happy birthday to the best coach to ever coach in the NBA – my very good friend Pat Riley!” the three-time MVP wrote.

Magic Johnson also attached a few pictures, dating all the way back to their Lakers days. In those, Riley can be seen with his iconic slicked-back hair and dashing suits alongside Johnson. His admission comes just weeks after the Lakers honored the Miami Heat president with his statue outside the Crypto.com Arena.

He was in attendance during that event as well and spoke about Riley’s successful stint in Southern California, which not only resulted in five championships but also changed basketball forever. So, it’s not much of a surprise that he thinks that The Godfather is the greatest of all time. Moreover, what makes Johnson’s admission even more compelling is the way Riley managed different egos and personalities.

He took over the job with no prior head coaching experience, yet was able to quickly transform the Los Angeles Lakers into a ruthless winning machine. Not to mention his impeccable style and aura. In fact, that’s something that even today separates Pat Riley from the rest of the crowd. And it makes his former players, like Magic Johnson himself, still admire and love him at the age of 81.

Magic Johnson believes that Pat Riley is the epitome of a “perfectionist”

Although Pat Riley hasn’t been on the sidelines the longest, his head coach mindset hasn’t faded at all. Just last month, during his statue unveiling in Los Angeles, the veteran sarcastically called out his former players for showing up at such a massive event tie-less. He even joked about them not taking the night seriously and intended to fine them.

That said, the witty nature of Riley is something Magic Johnson and several others who have played under him highly respect. Moreover, it prompted the Hall of Fame guard, who recently appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, to make a huge confession about his former head coach. “He has that aura about him. When he comes in, he goes back into his role as the coach. ” Johnson said, as detailed a story to back up the claim.

“He went to Chicago, where they were designing the statue four times to make sure they got it right. He’s a perfectionist,” he continued. “He always preached, making sure that we worked hard and we were mentally and physically tough. He always had an excellent game plan when we went against anybody, and he was very demanding. I love that because he coached me hard and all the skills he was able to bring out of me.”

Magic Johnson then went as far as suggesting that not only did Riley make him a better player, but also a better man. It goes to show how much of an impact Pat Riley has had on his players throughout his illustrious career. And it goes way beyond just basketball. So, no wonder the three-time MVP thinks that he is the greatest coach in the NBA’s long-standing history.